A Week in New Orleans on the Cheap

From yoga classes to hotel pool time, there is something free or cheap to do any day of the week in New Orleans

For an antidote to an action-packed weekend, Wild Lotus Yoga offers classes for a minimum of $5 at 7:45 p.m. at its Uptown location (4842 Perrier St., 899-0047; www.wildlotusyoga.com) and at 4:30 p.m. at its New Orleans Healing Center location (2372 St. Claude Ave.). The Swan River Community Center (7011 St. Claude Ave., Arabi, 985-218-0724; www.arabi.swanriveryoga.com) offers donation-based classes Monday through Saturday.

click to enlarge

Photo by John Charles

W Hotel in the CBD is hosting free public swims at its rooftop pool on Sundays, as well as free monthly fashion shows.

Tuesday

Blue Nile (532 Frenchmen St., 948-2583; www.bluenilelive.com) hosts the Open Ears music series in its upstairs space. The free weekly show (donations are accepted) features avant-garde, often improvised, sets from musicians. (Donations go to the artists, so kick in a few bucks.) Past guests include trombonist Big Sam Williams, cellist Helen Gillet and jazz chanteuse Sasha Masakowski.

Wednesday

The New Orleans Museum of Art (One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park, 658-4100; www.noma.org) offers free admission on hump day, thanks to a grant from the Helis Foundation. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum also holds a slew of activities — including live music, lectures, book signings and film screenings — that are included with museum admission, including its Where Y'Art series from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays.

Thursday

The New Orleans Film Society (www.neworleansfilmsociety.org) hosts free movie screenings for members on Thursdays at Chalmette Movies (8700 W. Judge Perez Blvd., 304-9992; www.chalmettemovies.com). The group also hosts free screenings for members on the first Tuesday of the month at Prytania Theatre (5339 Prytania St., 891-2787; www.theprytania.com), plus regular free screenings around town. Yearly membership starts at $25 for people under 30, and regular membership starts at $60.

Friday

Sample local brews at NOLA Brewing (3001 Tchoupitoulas St., 613-7727; www.nolabrewing.com), which offers free tours of its facilities at 2 p.m. on Fridays. The tour lasts an hour and includes tastings. Continue the boozing at Cork & Bottle (3700 Orleans Ave., 483-6314; www.cbwines.com), which hosts wine tastings from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.

Visit the New Orleans Museum of Art for free on Wednesdays and see Leah Chase: Paintings by Gustave Blache III which includes this canvas of the legendary chef.

Saturday

The New Movement (1919 Burgundy St.; www.newmovementtheater.com) hosts comedy shows at its theater Thursday through Saturday. On Saturdays, pay the $5 admission and catch three back-to-back shows, which can include improv class recitals, special events and signature programs such as Chris and Tami and The Megaphone Show. The theater is BYOB, which can make drinking as cheap as you like.

Sunday

On Sundays through August, the W Hotel (333 Poydras St., 525-9444; www.wneworleans.com) opens its swanky rooftop pool to the public from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free, but the pool space is first come, first served. Bottle service and other amenities are available. (Once a month, New Orleans Fashion Week stages a poolside fashion show; the next one is July 1.)